The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-15

closet, more money.
Old Dinah had lived with them during
their married life, and previous to that in
the home of Mre. Eastman's girlhood,
and could be trusted with uncounted
gold.
1 am telling you this that you may
see that, though it was careless habit,
it was pure thoughtlessness in regard to
it that caused them to continue what
proved to be temptation to Janet.
The family were very kind to her, and
she had never spoken of the sights re-
ceived from Lille Thornton and her
choice friends when Mrs Eastman's
brother made them short visit, leaving
Mabel with the aunt, who thought sum-
mer incomplete without seeing her favor
tie niece.
"Auntie, please may do half Of Ja-
nets work this morning, and then may
we swing in the hammock and read this
lovely new book?"
Yes, my dear; and I'll take my work
and sit under the big naples and listen,
if you are willing"
"Oh, auntie, that will be splendid. /
didn't just exactly want to leave you, but
/ thought you would excuse it, especially
il you knew"
"What is it, darling?" seeing tears in
Mabeps eyes.
"Aunt Hattie, we don't tell tales at
home unless we are obliged to; perhaps
I'm almost obliged to now, for [ am 80
sorry for her" and then she hesitated.
"Auntie, can we play it is our secret,
Just as we did when 1 was very little
girl?"
Yes, DEAR"
Coming very near she whispered:
"Some of the Sunday school girls are
very rude and impolite to Janet, and she
never even whispers, and knows the les
son better than anybody"
Poor girl hadn't thought Of that; !"
and Mrs. Eastman looked distressed.
"But, auntie, I think Lille Thornton
will understand that don't approve of
her, for when she tried to have me ride in
their carriage said, No, thank you; I
want to go with Janet to-day"
Her Aunt Hattie gave her kiss, and
was particularly thoughtful the entire
morning.
| Since the day when she heard one girl
say to another, eff that new dress of ia
net Hathorn's had bright colored sash
attached to it, it would be as pretty as
yours" Janet had often counted the PEN
MES that had been given her, and won
dered when she would have money
enough to buy one.
| That money behind the picture had
been there, she did not know how long,
but she had seen it every time she had
busted the mantel. She had counted it
once or twice, and wished it was hers.
One day, when Mr.. Eastman wished to
make change with some one, he asked his
wife if she hadn't some "lying around"
and she laughingly said:
ct do believe I've money in only two
places = the closet there and my work
| basket"
Janet's fret impulse was to say,
There's some behind that picture" but
a stranger was present, and she thought
she ought not to intrude.
The days went by, and every time she
thought about a sash that money was
mingled with it. One day ten cents
slipped down in little crack behind the
marble 1t did not fall through, and
with pin she found she could lift it, but
temptation to leave it possessed her,
and the little silver bit fell back.
She did not know that she had thought
of taking it, but in her mind she had
added it to what she had in box in her
room.
"Here's another place where you keep
money, auntie," said Mabel one morning,
when, helping Janet, she for the first
time moved the picture that had SO com.
pletely hidden it.
Her aunt laughed and picked up all but
the one dime that was going to make
Janet SO unhappy.
Janet dreamed about it, and when no
one else was in the room she took it out
and looked at it, though she did not I'M
mediately make up her mind to take it.
No one of the Hathorns had ever been
dishonest, and Janet even cried because
Mrs. Eastman did not take it with the
rest; but while it was there, and no one
knew of it-oh, it was hard.
The second Sunday of Mabels stay
she came home feeling much Inundated.
Mabel was not quite well, and her aunt
had stayed at home with her, and Janet,
with no friend at her side as on the pre-
vious Sunday, felt doubly sighted, and
it is just possible that the temptation to
which she was yielding had something to
do with her misery. When she passed
through the dining room there was no
one there, and she walked directly to the
picture, got the ten cents and went to the
pretty little room Mrs. Eastman had
given her, and deposited the stolen piece
in her box, though she put it in one cor
ner quite by itself.
"Come, Janet, well get our lesson for
next Sunday" said Mabel, that after.
noon. In the midst of it, Janet sudden.
ly said:
Excuse me"-she was fast learning
the pretty ways of those by whom she